In which the Josei takes a look at the week’s new episodes and crowns the winners, losers, and uncertain in-betweens.

Here There Be (Mild) Spoilers: My “Quick Dip” posts will touch briefly on the shows in the stream (see what I did there?) that I’m currently watching. (For the full list, check out the “Currently Watching” section of the sidebar.) While I’ll keep them vague to avoid giving away anything major, there will be screenshots and comments, and therefore possible spoilers. Read at your own risk.

This week’s roundup below the jump.

Winners

Comeback Kids (Haikyuu!!, Ping Pong, Yowamushi Pedal)

Never say never. And certainly never say “I’m quitting,” especially if you’re living in a sports anime. This week a trio of characters (four, if you count certain coaches) stormed back onto the competitive scene after swearing off the game forever. Proof that sports are exactly like the mob: Just when you think you’re out, they pull you right back in.

Passing Notes (Baby Steps, Chaika the Coffin Princess, One Week Friends)

Natchan gets Ei-chan out of his own head, Gillette receives a letter by Owl Post that’s sure to have him colliding with Team Chaika again, and Kiryu finally gets Saki to remember his name. Texts ain’t got nothin’ on these handwritten helpers.

Water Fights (Chaika the Coffin Princess, The World is Still Beautiful)

Sometimes you literally have to cool off in order to cool off. The always-awesome Nike waterbends some conflict resolution this week, and while the splashing on Chaika wasn’t quite so dramatic, it provided a moment of humor and genuine affection between a pair of siblings long-time friends, solidifying their bond to both Chaika and us. Both moments reminded me why I like these shows: Flashy and plot-heavy they ain’t, but there’s an infectious likability to each show’s characters (or at least most of them) that’s hard not to enjoy.

Losers

Self-Proclaimed Rivals (Baby Steps, Yowamushi Pedal)

It was a rough week for rivalries, or at least one-half of them. Ei-chan squared off against Koshimizu, who’s been competing with him in the classroom for years – not that Ei-chan had any idea. And poor Yowaizumi Imaizumi’s brain may have just broken from Midousuji’s assault on his Cyclist Pride. Here’s hoping there’s a cold dish of revenge somewhere in the future for him, providing he can stop crying long enough to actually see where he’s going.

MY EMOTIONS (One Week Friends, Ping Pong)

I got punched in the feels twice this week, you guys. :(

Abs! 

Sorry. I couldn’t resist. XD

All Tied Up

Memory Lane (Chaika the Coffin Princess, Haikyuu!!, One Week Friends, Ping Pong, The World is Still Beautiful, Yowamushi Pedal)

Seems like everyone was taking a stroll down here this week. The memories ran the gamut from fuzzy to traumatic to both fuzzy AND traumatic, making this one impossible to call. Flashback Day is a very dangerous day indeed.

Out of the Race

Captain Earth

I’m dropping it. It’s not that I DISliked it. It’s just that I didn’t have ANY opinion of it. It was kind of just… there. If CE were one-cour I’d stick it out, but at 26 episodes it’s just not worth the weekly apathy – especially when I’ve got about 100 episodes of Hunter x Hunter I could be watching instead. I wish you the best of luck, Midsummer Knights, but I won’t be flying with you anymore.